Key-opening can.



No. 725,384. PATENTED APR.14,1'903.

- W. H. WELLS.

KEY OPENING CAN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1903.

v1K0 MODEL. I

| nu w. i711 mumm- 1 nn (5 WVILLIAM H. WELLS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS A SSIGNOR TOAMERIOAN-OAN COMPANY, OF JERSEY OITY, NEW JERSEY,

JERSEY. V

A CORPORATION OF NEW KEY-OPENING CAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N 0. 725,384, datedlApril 14:, 1903.

Application filed January 20, 190?:- Serial ITO- 139,7 48 (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may con/067%:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM H. WELLS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Key-Opening Cans, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in key-opening cans.

Heretofore the bodies of key-opening cans have been provided with tearing strips marked off by parallel weakened lines and having projecting tongues at the side seam of the can-body to start the winding of the tearing-strip on'the key, the projecting tongues being sometimes made in a separate piece from the can-body and sometimes integral with the can-body. In this latter case a larger blank is required for the can-body.

The object of my invention is to provide a key-opening can of a simple, economical, efficient, and durable construction having the customary tearing-strip marked ofi by parallel weakened lines on its body and by means of which the'necessity for providing the body with a projecting tongue may be obviated or avoided and by which also a seamless canbody may be provided with a key-opening tearing-strip.

My invention consists in the means I employ to practically accomplish this important object or result--that is to say, it consists in a key-opening can having a can-body provided with a tearing-strip marked ofi by parallel weakened lines, the tearing-strip having an offset portion, preferably sunken or in the form of a groove, extending across the same adapting it to be severed by a sharp 'or chisel pointed key, and thus form a beginning for the winding of the tearing-strip about the key.

It further consists in providing the tearingstrip with two grooves or offsets extending across it at an angle to each other, so that the portion of the tearing-strip between these angle grooves or offsets when severed by the sharp or chisel pointed key will give the tearing-strip a free or tongue-like portion for beginning its winding about the key.

It further consists in a seamless can-body nations of parts and devices herein shown or described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a I part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a key-opening seamless can embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectionon line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on'line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. iris a detailele'vation showing the can after the grooved or offset portion of its tearing-strip is severed by the sharp or.chisel pointed key and-the'key in position forbeginning the winding, and Fig.

5 is a detail viewof thezkey.

- In the drawings, A represents a key-opening can having, preferably, a seamless body B, integral with its head or bottom 0, the body B and head 0 being drawn up in one piece out of a single sheet-metal blank by suitable dies.

D is the cover of the can, the same being preferably secured to the can-body by a double seam (1, formed by interfolding the seaming-flange b on the can-body with the seaming-flange d on the cover D, thus forming a solderless can.

The can-body B is provided near one end, preferably its bottom end, with a key-opening tearing-strip 12, marked off by the parallel weakened lines 12 12 This tearing-strip b is provided with an offset portionb preferably in the form of a narrow groove, extending across, or partially across, it to enable a sharp or chisel pointed key, as F, to be readily inserted throughthe body of the can and the tearing strip severed at its grooved 0r ofiset portion. Preferably the tearing-strip is provided with two grooves or offsets 12 Z2 extending at an angle to and meeting each other, as will be readily understood from Figs. 1 and 4, so that when the tearingstrip is punctured or severed at both these angle grooves or offsets the tearing-strip will have a free or tongue-like portion 1) to facilitate the beginning of its winding about the key. The key F has a sharp or chisel-like pointfand edge f, the edge being inclined to further facilitate its insertion through the grooved or offset portion of the tearing-strip. The key is also provided with a slot f to receive the tearing-strip or the free or tonguelike portion 1) thereof in winding the tearingstrip about the key.

To insure certainty in opening the can, I prefer to provide the seamless can-bod y B with a plurality of angle grooves or oifsets b b at different points of the circumference of the can, as illustrated in Fig. 2, where such grooves or ofisets are located diametrically opposite each other.

Although myinvention is speciallydesigned and adapted for use upon seamless can-bodies, it may of course be used upon can-bodies having the customary side seams.

In my invention, at the angle grooves 1) b where the tearing-strip is to be severed by insertion of a sharp or chisel pointed key, the can-body has but a single thickness, thus enabling it to be thus severed.

I disclaim as not in my invention the construction shown and described in the J. Zimmerman patent, No. 486,522, of November 22, 1892, and in the L. (1. Sharp patent, No. 716,163, of December 2, 1902, in both of which the cans are provided with projecting tongues at the seams or joints thereof.

I claim 1. In a key-opening can, a can-body provided with a tearing-strip marked oh. by parallel weakened lines, and having a trans versely-extending offset portion adapting it to be severed by asharp or chisel pointed key and thus form a beginning for the winding of the tearing-strip about the key, substantially as specified.

2. In a key-opening can, a can-body having a tearing-strip provided with two offsets extending at an angle to each other, so that the portion of the tearing-strip between these angle offsets when severed will give the tearing-strip a free or tongue-like portion for beginning its winding about the key, substantially as specified.

3. In a key-opening can a seamless canbody provided with a key-opening tearingstrip having a transversely-extending narrow groove across the same adapting it to be severed by the insertion of a sharp or chisel pointed key to form a beginning for the Winding of the tearing-strip about the key, substantially as specified.

4. A seamless can-body having a tearingstrip provided with meeting offsets extending at an angle to each other to give the tearingstrip a free portion for beginning the winding when severed at such meeting angle oil";- sets, substantially as specified.

5. A key-opening can havinga tearing-strip marked off by weakened lines and provided with an offset for insertion of a sharp or chisel pointed key, substantially as specified.

6. A key-opening can havingatearing-strip provided with meeting grooves extending at an angle to each other across the tearingstrip, substantially as specified.

WILLIAM H. WELLS.

Witnesses:

EDMUND ADCOCK, 1-1. M. MUNDAY. 

